Football.London journalist Alasdair Gold has claimed Jose Mourinho could help transform Gedson Fernandes at Tottenham.
What did he say?
The midfielder arrived on an initial 18-month loan from Benfica in the January transfer window, but has struggled to really make an impression in north London since joining – Fernandes has made just four appearances in the Premier League, worth only 40 minutes in total.
Despite that, Gold has insisted the Portuguese ace has some of the raw attributes and qualities that Mourinho could help develop at Spurs, and could see him become a real force in the engine room.
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He said: “The Tottenham boss knows his compatriot well. Gedson is very much a raw but gifted talent, one who needs plenty of work and development but has a high ceiling to what he can achieve. On the whole Mourinho utilised Gedson’s pace, drive and trickery late in games and often his impact from the bench was felt. What comes next with Gedson will be borne from that relationship with the head coach.
“Gedson’s versatility, or lack of a defined position yet, means Mourinho could turn him into the next Moussa Sissoko, the legs in the midfield but with more ability to thread a pass through to the attackers or arrive in the opposition box himself to finish off a move. What will benefit Tottenham is that essentially Gedson is undergoing one long 18-month trial.
“That means that during a time when finances are tight, Tottenham are getting a talented young player cheaply on loan but with the drive to earn himself a permanent move. Gedson may well be forgotten by the fans amid the excitement of the next transfer window but if Mourinho can find the key to the young Portuguese’s future then he could have a big role to play at Tottenham next season.”
Opportunity
As Gold points out, the fact Fernandes is on an 18-month loan, means Spurs are in no real rush to make a big decision on whether they commit to signing the Portuguese starlet permanently.
Mourinho can slowly blood him into the side, and depending on what his team’s needs are, could mould him into box-to-box type player, or even someone playing far more advanced.
Picking him up in January was a stroke of genius from the north Londoners, and it’s very much a low-risk, high-reward move.